Change and Continuity in Humanities

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Generally, I think I had much more fun this year for e-learning as we get to go to museums and learn more about the different artifacts of Southeast Asia. My favourite artifacts were the silver jewelry. This year's e-learning is much more enjoyable because we have to plan our own route, the time to meet and the meeting place. In short, everything was left to us to decide. However, I think that the school should at least let us know about the location so that we will have not have problems of meeting up too late. I also learned about how the buildings along Singapore river changed: from the old shophouses along a dirty river to now, a CBD and a clean river without any odor.

I think that we should at least plan the route much more better as we kind of get lost at some point of time.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Overall I think it was a pretty fun experience and I loved and enjoyed it. Even though we did get lost along the way but i fond myself bonding more with my friends and got to know more about Singapore at the same time. I got to see many beautiful artifacts like the ones we used for the post earlier on, I got to see what was along the Singapore river and found out that there were so many bridges in Singapore after all. This year, the eLearning had a little more history imbued into it compared to last year and it let me know about how items evolve and change over time and how many historical sites are still here today near the Singapore River.

Compared to last year, the eLearning this year was much more enjoyable and we got to move around more. I look forward to similar learning sessions in future as it is truly ENJOYABLE! :D

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Overall, the trip was fun, enriching and enjoyable. I learnt about how items from the past change and improve through the years while walking down the marbled hallways; how Singapore worked hard to change it's environment while roaming through the pathways along Singapore River; how the world was shaped, evolved and urbanized while ambling down Coleman Bridge.

The trip could be improved if time was given beforehand for us to research about Singapore River and observe it with some background knowledge when we get there. We should also have planned our route in a more organized way to prevent getting lost.

What I enjoyed the most working on this task is the part whereby the group strolling along the river side and having lots of fun while reaching the next destination. Other than the fun we had along the Singapore River, some of the challenges we faced were we were lost for directions and we were running out of time for the task. If we were given an opportunity to do it again, we could have come earlier for online discussion about the time and location of the meet up and also to plan out the route and direction before going for the journey. This will make our group work more enjoyable and efficient.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The silver jewelry were used to invest a family’s wealth and are usually used to pass down as family heirlooms. They are also worn to show their status and independence.

1st Difference- Gold is now more commonly used to invest in as a family heirloom and is more valuable than silver.

2nd Difference- The modern day jewelry is not as heavy or bulky so that people can wear it in their hectic lives easily.

3rd Difference- Now, due to security issues, silver is mostly locked up and aluminium is used as it’s substitute.

Pejeng-style Bronze Drum

This drum has a unique hour-glass shape and it is intricately designed with detailed carvings such that similar drums are rarely found around the world. It is used as a form of musical instrument.

Its modern day version is the musical drums we see in a band. Firstly, the body of the modern band drum is usually made of plastic as it is lightweight and durable. Secondly, the modern drums do not have intricate designs as they are usually manufactured in bulk by machines. Lastly, the modern drum is not as huge and bulky as the bronze drum, so they are easily transported overseas to sell.

"Magic" Bark Book (pustaha)

This book is used to record magic formulae, oracles, medicinal recipes, and instructions for performing rituals and producing various magic cures to pass on the knowledge of preserving life, the art of destroying life and the art of fortune-telling to people. It consists of myths, legends and magical spells.

Its modern day version is the documents available to be accessed on the internet. The first difference is that it can be shared to many people easily and all at the same time. The second is that the modern version is not bulky and can be accessed easily anywhere. The last difference is that it is difficult to damage and does not fade over time.